A defense official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the possible threats posed by Chinese vehicles, while personnel have been told to avoid talking about secret matters in all cars.
Safety Advice for Defence Personnel
During a recent interview on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on claims that MoD officials have been told not to talk about secret material while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister explained that the MoD is “investigating” cars from China within its fleets, however stressed that safety is a issue in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is not to plug MoD technology into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a secret level in any car, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in protected areas. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for anyone concerned about safety.
When it was put to him that it would be prudent for the ministry to cease using all Chinese vehicles, the minister responded: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Context
This revelation follows claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the United Kingdom to the existence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian spy ship has been shining lasers at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by defence officials.
The broader security situation highlights the significance of robust protocols and caution in all aspects of official operations, including vehicle usage to communication practices.
